Code Geass: Welcome to Inferno
by Lulu-ichigo
Summary: "If tears could make a stairway, and memories a lane, I'd walk right up to Heaven, and bring you home again." – Author unknown. Luluxshirley. anonymous reviews are accepted. finished.dedicated to my good friend Sam.
1. Piece I: Pandora's box

A/N: this one is another luluxshirley fanfic, inspired by my desire for them to be together, like every other luluxshirley fan out there. I've put a lot of effort in this one, (its not that I don't put a lot of effort in my other stories,) so please review this story.I'll appreciate it very much. Thank you.

disclaimer: I do not own code geass. man! why do i always forget to include the disclaimers!

XXX

"Ack, Rivalz!" the blond Ashford scolded, putting her hands on her waist, frowning. "That's not sugar you're adding; that's salt!"

"What?" the blue haired fellow looked at his president with disbelief.

"Now we're going to do it all over again!" Milly sighed hopelessly, grabbing the stainless steel bowl and dumping the contents to the sink.

"Kaichou," an orange headed girl called out, "how do you turn this thing on?"

"Press the yellow button, Shirley," she answered. "Remember, just mix on the lowest–"

"Waah!" within a blink, chocolate went flying in all directions. The hand mixer the orange head was holding slipped out of her hands, crashing to the floor.

"Shirley!" Milly called with a disciplinary tone.

"I told you I'm not good in cooking," she answered.

"Goodness!" Milly sighed once more, putting her hand on her head. "Is Lelouch the only one good in these things within this student council?"

The raven haired prince smiled, watching them; all chaotic and crazy as always.

They were going to cook a chocolate soufflé that day. Through Milly's stubbornness, they were able to finish; she made Rivalz and Shirley buy all the ingredients again, and then made them wait and watch while she demonstrated how to do the procedures properly. It was that day that she promised him not to cook for them; just because he was always the one who supplied them with good food.

But when their soufflé was done, it didn't rise. He ate it anyway.

It tasted burned.

His smile faded.

He wondered if it would taste better to him if he knew by that time that in the near future, he won't be able to see them anymore.

"Lelouch, the eggs are burning."

"Wha–" he blinked back to reality, realizing that the kitchen was beginning to fill with black smoke. He hastily turned the stove off and opened the windows, letting the smoke come out. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

"You looked like you were thinking about something important," the green haired female answered honestly.

Lelouch removed the pan from the stove. He wondered if _they _were relevantly important to him now.

"Memories hurt, don't they?" she asked, walking toward him.

He stopped for a brief moment, getting hit by her statement. He turned the faucet and ran the water to the pan.

"Don't worry," she hugged him from the back, "you've got all of eternity to forget."

The very statement of _eternity_ sent a jolt of pain to his conscious mind.

"You never run out of ironies don't you, C.C?" he said, breaking off from her embrace.

"Eternity is boring, in case you haven't realized yet." She smiled, leaning on the nearby table. "I'll be bored to death if I won't do something to amuse myself."

"And I'm that amusement of yours." he turned to her and wiped his hands dry with a worn out towel.

"Who else? You're the only one I've got." She answered.

Lelouch placed the towel on the table. "Could you cook another batch of eggs? I'm going to get some berries for our dessert." He walked past her and dropped the subject. He really didn't like where the conversation was going.

"Ok." C.C replied.

"I'll be going then." he took his coat and a basket and went out of their house. He heard her say 'take care' but he was already outside. He kept on going, walking briskly at first, and then within a heartbeat, he was racing away.

He hated the feeling of being caged.

He hated the feeling of being controlled and restrained.

But he knew he wouldn't be able to escape or fight it. It's already burned into his soul, forever changing his fate. And on his palm rests its proof.

He is the prisoner of Geass; the prisoner of eternity.

He stopped to catch his breath, falling to his knees. He sat on the thick grass, finding himself lost in the woods. But it didn't matter. Being anywhere would be fine. He lay back, breathing slowly. Then he closed his eyes. He was living far away from everything he'd known now, and it scared him. He felt lost, even though C.C was with him.

"Its wonderful, isn't it, big brother? Nature, that is."

He knew the voice that he heard, even though he knew no one was there with him.

"So many sounds that it makes. And it smells so alive – I can feel it actually! I can feel it breathe. It's living. I'm sure it looks equally magnificent. You know, big brother, I wish that someday, you and I could watch nature together. And then we'll lie on the grass all day, listening to all of its songs."

"Yes," he whispered, "I wish for that too, Nunnally." He lips quivered, tears threatening to come. "I wish that I could be there, I…" a sob came out of his lips unexpectedly, disrupting his words.

It has been three years since he 'died'; three long years since he last saw his loved ones. But as early as now, he's already breaking apart.

"Such bitter tears being shed again…"

He turned his head to who spoke. Suddenly, he found a woman, not that much older than him, kneeling in front of him. Her long, flowing hair grey hair almost touched the ground. Her reddish violet lit eyes, the exact copy of his, followed a tear racing down his cheek. He noticed she has Geass marks on both cheeks.

"It's tiring isn't it? The suffering." She wiped the tear away gently.

"Who are you?" his geass activated suddenly as he backed away.

"I'm the same as you." As she answered, her geass gleamed eerily. "The one gifted and cursed."

"What do you want?" he asked out of instinct.

"The thing you don't want." She pointed to his eyes.

Lelouch blinked. "My… Geass?"

"I'll take it away, and your suffering; your eternity."

He stared at her amazed and puzzled. "That's impossible."

"C.C hasn't told you about my existence, has she?" she said, "I'm the one who holds what was in the box, and now that it has been released, I must retrieve them. I am the Geass Collector."

"Geass Collector?" he repeated. "Don't make me laugh." He stood up and wiped away his tears, feeling foolish.

"I have six hundred fifty nine codes already," she said calmly, "and yours is the six hundred sixtieth." She stood up as well, smoothing out the creases on her robe like dress. "Let me show you, young immortal." She then gently took off her robe, revealing her bare body.

"Hey," Lelouch looked away, blushing a little. "Put your clothes back on."

"Look at me." she commanded. There was something dominant in her voice that made him obey. And when he did, he was left in awe.

Every inch of her skin was covered with the Geass symbol; from her cheeks down to her feet.

"And yours will be right here;" she lifted her palm for him to see. "Your code."

The amethyst eyed prince looked at his own palm, tattooed eternally with the said symbol.

"I'm here to offer you another pact." She said effortlessly.

"Another Geass pact?" he questioned.

"Everyone has regrets." She started, picking her robe up and wearing it again. "We all have, plenty. If only we had the chance to change the things that we did. Turn back time… wouldn't you agree? What if I told you I have the power to do so?"

His eyes averted to hers immediately.

"I can give you one chance and one chance only." She walked nearer to him, staring back. "I can bring you back in time."

The notion of time travel made him think that this woman is crazy. However, a thing like that isn't far from reality, if Geass is concerned.

"Would you like to hear the conditions of my pact?"

"The only price to pay is my code and my Geass, correct?" he answered her question with another question.

"Nothing more, nothing less." She answered.

He dreamed about that a long, long time ago. There were so many wrong things that he had done; too many mistakes to correct. He had told so many lies that he can no longer take them back.

And now, in front of him lies the chance to change it all.

"Let's hear it." He finally replied.

She grinned with satisfaction from his reply. "Very well then. I can take you back to a certain time period you want to go back to, but, it can only be within your past; in doing so, you can have the chance to change the past, and so, the future." She took out a large hour glass from her sleeve, as if by magic. "This hour glass will tell you how much time you can stay within that time period. When the sand runs out, you'll be automatically sent back to this present time, whether you're finished or not. Though, I warn you, dear prince," She handed the hour glass to him, "Be careful. Even a slightest change will make a huge impact in the future. Let me give you an example. If you try to save a loved one from death, another will die in his or her place."

"Isn't that unfair?" he reasoned.

"Equality must be practiced." She replied. "Everything is fair in this world."

He wanted to argue with thought, but it wasn't the time for that.

"What will happen when I leave this time period?" he asked.

"Everything will be the same. Do we have a deal, then?"

He looked at his palm. C.C must be waiting for him now. But to him, just for today…

He'll stop caring for others.

"It's a deal."

The Geass Collector smiled once more. "Alright. Shall we get going?"

"Don't you need to know what would I want to change?"

"No," she answered, "Because I already know the answer to that." She placed her hands on her chest. "Live your greatest regret once more, Lelouch vi Britannia." she took something from her chest, and from it emerged a golden butterfly with wings glowing because of the Geass symbol on it. It flew toward him, fluttering and hovering. It landed on his nose.

"Wha –"

The butterfly opened its wings; the Geass symbol on it suddenly shining brightly.

"May your wish be granted."

*Fin*

A/N: okay… that's it for chapter one. Is it bad? I revised it just now, and I'm not sure if it turned out good. So please review it. Thanks a lot!


	2. Piece II : Rewind

A/N: I am completely lost right now. I can't get any inspirations. And added to that, my midterms sucked. T.T Yes, I am bitterly depressed right now. But you guys can ignore me and read on. I offer you chapter two which took forever to finish because I wasn't in the mood to write for a while. I apologize! T.T

Disclaimer: I do not own, (in any way,) Code Geass and its characters so on and so forth. Only the story written here is mine.

XXX

_Good luck._

Tremendous pain electrified his body, stinging every muscle he has. He tried to picture out his surroundings but all he could recognize is the unrecognizable. Slurry colours of black, blue, grey and yellow waved in front of him, like he was being plunged under water. He felt exceedingly dizzy. Loud and deep noises bombarded him, to the point that he felt that his ears will burst if it continued any longer. And the worst of them all is what he tasted and smelled. The stink of rotten wood, rats and insects as well new and old books and human odor mixed with other unperceivable smells made his headache worse. A mixture of sweat, dust and a lot of other things he didn't want to categorize flooded his mouth, making him even sicker than he already is now.

He felt vulnerable.

Theories where he might have ended up flooded his mind along with the overwhelming sensory overload he was experiencing. He could be anywhere. But he didn't have clue.

It was because he didn't know what his greatest regret is. It was far too many for him to count.

He felt something grab his arm, as if trying to support him. He tried to hold on to that touch, but his senses were now failing him. His body felt heavy that he could feel himself succumbing to the pull of gravity.

Shadows began to cover his once abstract filled sight. He tried to fight it, but it was useless. He didn't have any strength left.

'_Lulu.'_

He heard someone call, a voice he recognized but could not remember to whom it belonged. He attempted to keep himself together, but all efforts were in vain.

Lelouch finally gave in to the gloom of unconsciousness, left with memory of that voice that uttered that name he never thought he'd hear again.

XXX

"…he…man! I was… mouth…"

"Thank… I don't… if… sooner."

He was hearing them; two male voices saying something he couldn't hear too well to understand. The air around him felt surprisingly light. Breathing deeply, he cleansed off the stench left in his lungs. His nose hurt when he did, smelling a light odor of bleach and medicine.

"Should we call…or…I …worry…"

"…think we…shall…go?"

Slowly, it seemed that his senses were coming back to him. The first to return was of course his hearing, then his smell and his taste. He still could sense the tang of mixed sweat and dirt in his mouth, but he dismissed it.

"I think I'll…Go…about this incident." A familiar voice of a female Lelouch knew from somewhere mumbled.

"Okay. See you later, Shirley." The other male voice replied.

Her name sent a shot of adrenaline in his system, waking him up instantly. Within a few seconds, he already felt his heart pumping hard against his chest. He came back to the time _she_ was still alive. Somehow, the idea gave him joy and at the same time, regret.

"Shirley," another female voice spoke, somewhat older than the rest of them, "I'm gonna go to the principal's office to deliver some needed files. Look after our patient for me ok?"

"Okay!" Shirley replied with her ever cheerful voice. Lelouch could even picture her innocent smile, like she didn't have a problem in this world.

The thud of the door opening and then closing made him wake up completely, though he didn't open his eyes yet. He now knew that he's in the Ashford academy, but still not certain what period of time.

"What have you been thinking these past days, Lulu?" Shirley whispered gently, careful not to wake him. "You've been acting strange. And then you even…"

'_I even what?' _he thought to himself, itching to open his eyes and look at her. There was a long pause after that statement. Realizing Shirley won't speak anymore, Lelouch finally decide to open his eyes.

But then, all he saw was her face dangerously close to his. He could even feel her breath touching his lips.

"Shirley." He said, but his voice sounded hoarse.

"Wha – waah!" the orange head stepped back, knocking the chair she was sitting on a while ago. Her cheeks lit up to the color of roses immediately. "I – I was j-just ah, checking if-if y-you were alright and breathing properly," she reasoned, looking away in embarrassment.

As he focused his eyes on her, his perception became clearer. Those long straight strands of orange hair seemed to be almost unbelievable. Her sparkling light green eyes choked him off of his thoughts that he couldn't bring himself to speak. For all this time, when he thinks of Shirley, all he could see was that pale, sad face from that day she left this world; that day when she left _him._

"Shirley." He said once more, burning his tongue with longing.

"I-I'm sorry Lulu," she apologized, cheeks still red, "I didn't mean to wake you up."

"You didn't," Lelouch replied, "I was already awake anyway." He noticed now that he was in the clinic, lying on a bed. He sat up.

"Oh." She cleared her throat and still looked somewhere else.

"Why was your face so near to mine earlier?" he asked, even though he knew the answer to that. He missed teasing her.

"What? I… I was just… I mean…" she searched for a possible escape route, but couldn't find any.

"You were going to kiss me, weren't you?"

Shirley became more flushed. "Actually, I… I was just about to return the favor!"

"Favor?" Lelouch repeated.

"You kissed me in the library the other day so I figured I should return that kiss back…"

"I…kissed you…?" he repeated once more. He can't remember when that happened, or if it really occurred, for that matter. "In the library…" he whispered to himself, searching his thoughts.

"I can't understand why you did that so suddenly though," she said and sat on the bed.

Then, he realized. He never kissed Shirley anywhere near the library. Not before he met C.C and had been given Geass, nor before or after he erased her memories.

"Sayoko." He whispered, as he found the answers to all of his questions.

"Huh?" Shirley blinked.

"So this is my greatest regret…" he spoke softly, hands forming to fists. "Not being able to protect you."

"Lulu?" Shirley called out. "What do you mean by that?"

"Nothing," he smiled and got out of bed. "I just remembered that I have an important thing to do." He noticed that he was wearing the Ashford academy uniform now. They unbuttoned it to make him more comfortable so he buttoned them on again and looked for his shoes.

"But you're sick!" she reasoned. "You fainted! You even foamed in the mouth and your eyes turned white and –"

"I'm alright now," he assured her. _'So that was what I looked like earlier…'_

"You're not!" she insisted. "We thought you were going to die, Lulu! You need to take a break –"

"It's alright, Shirley. I'm fine." He patted her head and smiled warmly and genuinely; a thing he never had the chance to do before.

"But even so…" she frowned, worry surfacing in her voice.

"That return favor you mentioned earlier," he started, "Can I have it now?"

"What?" Shirley blushed once more upon hearing that. "I-I was just joking! There's no need to do that, I –"

"Equality must be practiced."

Shirley could no longer speak as Lelouch leaned and kissed her.

For the first time in what seemed a long time, when their lips met, he felt he was truly alive.

He broke off from the kiss, leaving her speechless and smitten. "Go back to class, Shirley. I'll see you later." He wore his shoes and gave her one last smile. After that, he left the clinic.

While walking through the hallways of Ashford, he knew he had to move carefully. He had to save Shirley and prevent any unwanted results. He really didn't believe in the 'Law of Equality' the Geass Collector had told him. There was no such thing.

Defying Destiny and Death will take more than a miracle to pull off.

But after seeing her again, he felt he can do anything.

XXX

"Lelouch?" C.C called out, patting the unconscious prince by the cheek as he lay peacefully on the grass. She had been searching for him for about an hour now, wondering where he went. "Wake up already, I'm starving."

"He'll be back by sunset."

C.C turned her head to who spoke. "Who is there?"

"Greetings, C.C." the speaker stepped out from the shadows of the trees.

C.C looked like she saw a ghost when she emerged from hiding and recognized her face. "Lilith?"

The woman with long grey hair smiled as she ate the blueberries in the basket Lelouch took with him earlier. "Wow, you recognized me instantly even though it's our first time to meet! As a reward, I'll give you this basket full of blueberries I personally picked. They're all ripe, I assure you."

"You made a pact with Lelouch." The green haired witch stood up, looking straight at Lilith, her geass automatically activating, becoming offensive so suddenly.

"He _needed_ the pact," the grey haired immortal corrected her. "That's why I have shown myself to him. Don't be so feisty now; I didn't trick him or something."

"All the words that come out of your mouth are all lies," C.C accused boldly.

"What a troublesome girl you are," Lilith grinned. "You're just being selfish."

"The wishes that you promised to grant don't ever come true."

"Death is inevitable; I don't have control over that. And I don't grant wishes, I _help _to grant them. Every one of us controls their own fate. It's in their hands if they take advantage of the chances I've provided them with. It's not my fault if all the people whom I made pact with never got what they wanted. After all, time waits for no one." Lilith walked to the unconscious Lelouch lying on the ground. She knelt beside him, and then brushed his hair gently. "Who knows, maybe this boy will be the first to bend the will of the past."

XXXfinXXX

A/N: The original version of this story is just a one shot, so I really don't know what entered my mind when I decided to divide it into chapters. And I'm confused about what ending I should make. So, please suggest ideas if you have any. That'll be a great help! Thank you.


	3. Piece III : Pawn Forward

A/N: chapter three is here! I decided to update once every week. The finals are fast approaching and I have got to get serious in studying, so I don't have much time for writing. T.T that is why I apologize. *bows*

Disclaimer: as what I have written in the earlier chapters, I do not own code geass.

XXX

"Let's have a contract. Now." The green haired witch ordered with an air of authority.

"I thought you said that I don't grant wishes." Lilith grinned sarcastically, popping a berry in to her mouth.

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" C.C's eyes batted away from hers.

Lilith narrowed her eyes in amusement. "Sorry, but I cannot make a pact with another person when the pact I made with another is still not fulfilled."

"What?" C.C stepped forward in anger.

"Why do you want to stop him so badly? Are you really that selfish? Don't you realize that grief is the only thing he feels when he's with you?"

"He chose to be with _me_." The witch shot back. "He had a choice. He always had. I'm not naïve. I know his sufferings even if he doesn't tell me anything."

"Then why do you want to stop him from being free?"

"His fate had been warped the moment he agreed to my pact. He will never be free." The witch answered grimly. "He doesn't know the consequences when one bends the will of the past."

"I've informed him well." Lilith licked her fingers. "Have a little faith, would you?"

"It's not enough." C.C persisted, voice almost pleading. "He's not God. He'll fail. And even if he succeeds… the effects will be catastrophic."

Lilith leered and smiled mockingly, "That's what he's good at, don't you remember? Playing the role of God."

"You… Demon." C.C glared at her, barely suppressing her anger.

"There's no need to be angry. It's the truth." Lilith stood up and put the basket down near Lelouch's face. "Would you do me a favor? Please take care of _that_ Lelouch for me. I'll be gone for a moment to give the other Lelouch his hour glass."

"Wait, Lilith –"

"Ciao," the grey haired woman cheerily waved and in a blink of an eye, she disappeared.

Defeated, C.C fell to her knees, just beside the Lelouch from the past.

"Foolish." She cursed the sleeping prince. "Stupid Lelouch."

XXX

He exhaled long.

He felt suddenly tired as he lay there on his bed. He glanced on the clock just beside his bed. "Ten o'clock." He said aloud. The day was just starting, but he got to have a plan fast before night fall.

He needed to remember every detail of every moment of this day, and the next few days for that matter.

Lelouch closed his eyes and exhaled again.

"Yahoo!"

"Waah!" He opened his eyes immediately and sat up in surprise.

"Hey there!" it was Lilith, dressed in Ashford academy uniform.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" he stuttered, looking at the Geass Collector.

"I forgot to give you the hour glass," she chuckled. "My bad." She skipped to him and handed him the hour glass. Lelouch took it. "Oh and I forgot to introduce myself properly," she smiled and curtsied. "My name is Lilith; pleased to meet you."

Lelouch whispered her name in his mind and marvelled how her personality changed so quickly from the first time he met her.

"So, have you seen _her_?"

The question almost made him smile. "Yes."

"I see." Lilith smiled.

A light blush surfaced on his cheeks. "How did you know this was my greatest regret?" He tried to change the topic. "Honestly, I… I didn't know myself."

"Actually, this isn't your greatest regret. Well, not entirely."

His eyes averted to her. "What?"

"There were so many to choose from," she sat on his study table, picked a book and browsed the pages. "It gave me a hard time, you know."

"You _lied_ to me." Lelouch rose and stepped forward.

"I did not lie." Lilith said, looking straight in his eyes, making his geass activate automatically. "I picked the regret that only you would _benefit_ from."

He gave her a confused look which made her continue her explanation.

"Let me give you an example," she placed down the book. "You regretted the day you gave that fateful command to Euphemia li Britannia, your half sister, who is also your first love, which resulted to the massacre of hundreds of Japanese people. You regretted killing her and bringing such pain to your dearest best friend, Kururugi Suzaku. Now, wouldn't it be appropriate that I should have chosen that over this time period? After all, Euphemia's life wasn't the only one lost in that day. So then, let's suppose that I have taken you back in that time instead, and let's assume you managed to save her, preventing the massacre and such. You'd think the ending would go like: 'And they lived happily ever after…', and I'm sure it would, for _them_. But what about you? What would _you_ gain from saving Euphemia? Yes, it would lighten your sins but in the end of the day, you'll be empty-handed. Britannia would continue hating you, even if she sided with you. And at the top of that, you'll lose something very important at the cost of saving her and those Japanese people… or maybe _more_.  
Therefore, I chose something you regret as _Lelouch_, not as Zero, or as a brother, or a friend; something that you would want to change for yourself and yourself alone."

"Isn't that unfair?" he reasoned.

"I asked Lelouch that exists for himself, not Zero, or any of Lelouch's roles for that matter," she answered, "Your wish is only for you and no one shall benefit from it but you. It's a selfish wish, yes, but that's the only wishes I could grant."

Lelouch placed the hour glass on his table, near Lilith. "I understand."

"Good." Lilith grinned and hopped off. "Oh, and another thing; I will be taking your geass later on when your time runs out, so you don't have to worry. As for your code, well… it's not yours in this time yet, so you don't have it right now."

He looked at his palm which is now free of the geass mark. "Of course."

"I'll see you then," Lilith turned her back and in an instant, she disappeared.

Lelouch fell back to his bed. Glancing to his right, he saw the hour glass the Geass Collector had left. Slowly the sand slipped thru the little opening and fell to the other side, creating a miniature mountain.

He wondered how much time he's got until its game over.

XXX

"Are you sure you're alright, onii-chan?" Rolo asked Lelouch, worry surfacing in his face. "You don't have to force yourself."

"I'm alright Rolo," he answered with a smile. "I've rested enough. And besides, I can't let the Knights of Rounds roam freely." He turned to the screen in front of him, studying what his double (Sayoko) had done in the past few days. And yes, he was correct; it was Sayoko who planted that kiss on Shirley. And those dates she made…

He can't help but sigh.

"Master Lelouch, about your schedule tomorrow…" Sayoko brought out an organizer and showed it to him.

"Sayoko made some easy promises to meet with other people," Rolo said as he looked at the locket Lelouch gave him.

"I was told to keep relationships smooth." Sayoko said simply.

"I don't have any other choice, do I?" Lelouch answered and gave out a sigh. "This is…"

"Assuming three hours of sleep, I have made appointments with one hundred eight ladies. Fourteen of them are on stand by. Dates are on a six month wait list."

"You don't have to go," Rolo suggested. "I can meet them for you if you want."

"It's alright," Lelouch answered, placing the organizer in his pocket. _'I have to do this or else something might change,'_ he said to himself. Everything must be repeated the way it was. "I can handle it."

*Fin*

A/N: it's rather short isn't it? I made a rule to myself that 2000 words is the least number of words that I should write in the chapters of this story. But it I don't have any ideas to add so it ended up like this. And to Ash: nope, the Lelouch with C.C is not dead. How would I put it, hmm… I suppose he's just sleeping.

Thank you for reading!


	4. Piece IV : Trust

A/N: I've been doing a lot of thinking lately. I detach from reality too often, and I know that's _not_ a good thing. We all have to meet expectations and fulfil responsibilities and everything else in between… sometimes I don't want that. I don't know. Is it just me, or am I turning in to an emo? XD sorry if the update is a week a late.*sigh* I'm really sorry.

XXX

"Let's go over today's schedule then," Sayoko said to Lelouch the next day.

"Since it's a day off, all of twenty four hours have been taken account. 7:00 am; you will be having home-made bento. 9:00 am; you will have a date at the museum. 10:30 am; you will be shopping. 12:00 noon; you will arrive at the aquarium. From there you will be using Shinkiro as transportation. Resurfacing will take place 400 meters away. In addition I have prepared your clothing inside your cockpit. Once you have arrived at the Chinese Federation at 3:00 p.m, you will sign a trade agreement in Shanghai. Forty seven minutes is allotted for your stay there…"

He sat back, feeling sweaty and tired. He sighed.

There were so many things to do in such short time.

He loosened the cloth around his neck and quickly, he felt his breathing ease a bit. He now walked faster toward the place where he left Shinkiro. He can't wait to remove his mask.

"You're different from what I remember."

He stopped in his tracks. He knew the voice well and looked ahead, to where the speaker was. "Oh? Why do you say so, C.C?"

The green haired immortal blinked and walked closer to Lelouch. "I just know."

Lelouch felt a pang of guilt in his chest. "Really? Well, sorry to disappoint you, but I'm the same man you knew when we first met." He walked on, the distance between them diminishing.

" 'Man is least himself when he talks in his own person. Give him a mask and he will tell you the truth.' " C.C said without emotion which made Lelouch stop, just right beside her. "Oscar Wilde once said that. I wonder…" She looked at him as if she sees through his mask, "Why you still lie even though you _are _wearing one."

Lelouch didn't stir. He averted his eyes to his witch.

"_I'm sorry that I can't tell you anything."_ He whispered, but almost no sound escaped his lips.

He strode past her deciding it was best not to tell her anything.

C.C looked at him leave her without uttering a word, and turned her back as well as if she understood.

XXX

'_You're different from what I remember.'_

Her words echoed in his head over and over. Was it wrong of him to agree to Lilith's pact? Was he too impulsive? He felt that he had betrayed her. But he didn't want to live like _that_ forever. He couldn't.

"I need to ask you something." Anya suddenly showed up, snapping him off of his thoughts. "Is this you, Lelouch?" he showed him her electronic diary that has a picture of him as a prince of Britannia.

"No that's not me, I'm afraid," he answered, "I'm just a normal student."

"Lelouch-senpai!" Gino waved at him with his big smile as he ran towards him. "Take me to the chess place man! The one you gamble in the underground society."

"When I told him about chess gambling, he said he really wanted to go." Rivalz said with a smile.

"Tonight… isn't a good time guys, sorry." Lelouch gave an apologetic smile and stepped back. He wanted to spend time with everyone because he really did miss them terribly, but he doesn't hold his time.

"There he is!" a female voice shouted.

"Get him!" another shouted, and soon, there were a bunch of girls running towards him.

"_Shit, I forgot about what time it was," _he thought to himself and started running away.

"He's running away!" a red head from the group of girls shouted and pointed to him.

"Please don't say that! It's not like that!" he reasoned but realized none of those girls will listen to him anyway. When he looked to where he was going, someone was in his way and bumped on to that person, knocking him out of his feet.

"Ouch…" he held his arm that was hit and looked to whom he bumped to.

"And who will you be meeting with now?"

Lelouch's eyes widened as he recognized her. "Sh-Shirley?"

"You're not just a gambler now, huh? You pathetic playboy!" she cursed and her cheeks lit up in anger.

"Wait, let me explain!" the raven haired boy stood up. He realized he also forgot to bring that blouse with him. "It's not what you think it is, I –"

"Then what is it?" she puts her hands on her hips. "Is dating other girls also your 'hobby' like chess gambling?"

"No, that's not it, I –"

"Look over here!"

Everyone looked as they were ordered. It was Milly, standing at her balcony. There were lights illuminating her as if in a show. "I've finally decided on my graduation event!" she giggled happily. "I named it 'Cupid's Day'!"

"Graduation? In this time of year?" Gino wondered, looking at their president.

"I stayed an extra year, you know. Now that I had made enough credits, I can graduate." Milly cheerily replied.

"So that's how the system here works." Gino nodded.

"President, are you really going to graduate? Can't you just stay with us?" Rivalz asked in a sad tone.

"So Milly," Gino continued, but Rivalz gave him a _look_. "What is it? That 'Cupid's Day' thingy."

"On that day all students will be wearing this hat." She pointed to the pink heart-shaped hat she was wearing. "Boys will be this color." She showed the blue hat. "And, if you grab your partner's hat and put it on…" she demonstrated, putting the blue hat on.

"Put it on and…?" Anya said, waiting for Milly's next words.

"Under my executive orders, the two of you will be forced to become a couple!"

Everybody reacted to what their president said, but not Shirley. She started walking away immediately after Milly finished speaking.

"Shirley, wait!" Lelouch chased after her and caught her hand. "Please listen to me."

"What kind of charades are you playing with me now?" she shot him with her words. "What do you think of me, Lulu? Some kind of toy?" she pulled her hand free of his grip. "Am I that stupid for you to make fun of me? For me to think that you actually…" her voice trembled and tears came too soon. She bit her lip to stop herself from sobbing, but she can't control herself. "I'm so stupid," she shook her head and wiped the flowing tear on her cheek and turned away, feeling embarrassed for being too weak to stop her emotions.

It was because he was always so distant, always so near to her but at the same time so far away. She felt that the Lelouch she is seeing everyday is just flesh and bone, like a surrogate, and the real one is in some distant planet, doing something else she isn't allowed to know. He was constantly drenched in his own world, and nobody seemed to know anything about it. It was like he was walking among them, carrying transparent walls around himself; he can observe others, but he kept a barrier in between. He was always quiet and secretive; when he smiles at her, she knows they aren't genuine, but she appreciates them anyway, because she knows most likely, that's the only reaction she's going to get from him except from his serious stares and sleepy looks. So when she gets the time, a chance of a lifetime to be with him, she wanted to connect. She wants to know. She wants to be a part of _his_ world, even for once.

"I'm sorry." Lelouch muttered, "Don't cry, please. Please…" he made her look at him, brushing her bangs away from her eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry…" he pulled her closer in to an embrace, feeling guilty for not saying his apologies sooner. Another sob escaped from Shirley's lips as she clung to his clothes.

"_I'm just fooling myself." _she said to herself, burying her face on Lelouch's chest, her shoulders jerking with every sob coming out of her lips. _"I'm so stupid… so weak…"_

"Everything's a mess right now, but you'll know everything soon, everything you want and should know. So please bear with it, just for a while longer." He said close to her ear, now pulling away. "I'm sorry, but I have to go. I'll make it up to you, I promise. Just wait for me." He said apologetically, regretting he has to leave for the next date. The events had changed so suddenly he didn't have the time to think. Maybe this was the power of Fate. If it was, it sure is playing with him again. "I'll see you later," he hesitated to let her go, but he didn't have any other choice.

He ran off, leaving her frustrated.

XXX

"Boo!"

"Wha!" C.C almost screamed in surprise and stumbled on to the unconscious Lelouch. Looking behind her, she saw the Geass Collector wearing the Ashford Academy uniform, laughing.

"Gotcha!" Lilith chuckled.

"You're here already?" C.C asked, confused. A minute hasn't even passed after she left.

"Why, don't you want me to be here?" she asked and lay down on the grass beside Lelouch.

The witch sat properly, her composure now calm again. "What do you think?"

"Ouch." Lilith placed her hand on her chest as if she had been stabbed in the heart.

"Why are you wearing that uniform?"

"This was my cover. If I don't fit in, something might happen."

"What is he doing?"

"Sorry, I can't tell you."

"Is he making any progress?"

"Who knows?"

"What?" C.C's voice raised, anger resuming in its tone. "Aren't you supposed to watch over him?"

"No, that isn't in the pact." Lilith glanced at her. "My duty is done when I gave him the hour glass. He's all on his own. Geass Pacts aren't in favour of the one who accepted it, haven't you forgotten? It's just a curse for the sinful glazed with sweet words."

C.C wanted to protest, but couldn't deny that all what the Geass Collector said was true.

"You know, sometimes I have thought of stopping gathering all the codes. I always had thought to myself, 'these greedy bastards should suffer anyway. Why would I even bother to lift their curse?' Ironically, it seems that in all of the people who have the Geass curse, _I_ was the greediest of them all. And of course, I received the greatest punishment." Lilith stretched and yawned. "Since I'm getting too bored and have started saying these random things to you, I'll tell you a secret." She grinned joyfully, leaning closer to the witch.

"C.C, did you know?" Lilith leered. "I was the first to be cursed."

XXX

"Ladies and gentlemen, this is your president for the last day, Milly Ashford speaking." The blond announced over the mike with a huge smile on her face. "My graduation event, Cupid's day, will begin soon. Ah, just to remind you guys… You need to be at least two meters away from your target. We all know the rules, right? You just need to grab your partner's hat and put it on. There are no limitations in the methods of capturing the hat. You can use gadgets, form teams; everything is ok."

Lelouch stood quietly, already surrounded with girls. He had to do things here perfectly, or his plans will be ruined. He wondered why it was so hard to keep the situation under control. This all had happened before, hasn't it? He wondered if fate had a grudge on him for not cooperating with him, especially last night.

"Before we begin, I must say something," Milly stopped for a moment as if thinking, but then smiled again, took a deep breath and said, "Whoever grabs Lelouch Lamperouge's hat from 3-D and brings it to me, I will increase your club's budget tenfold!"

The girls near Lelouch murmured because of their president's announcement.

Lelouch smiled. _'She never changes does she?'_

"Well then, let the games begin!"

Fireworks signalled the start.

His plan was working well; Rolo did what he was told, and Lelouch managed to return to the command center and switched places with Sayoko who is disguised as himself.

"Take a detour from the second school house and head for the second gymnasium. The chemistry club must be there." He said via wireless communication as he monitored Sayoko thru the surveillance cameras.

While Sayoko was dodging her pursuers rather oddly, Anya arrived with Mordred.

"_Right on time,"_ he thought to himself. "Proceed to the final place of the plan! Move to the study room!" he ordered and dashed off to the elevator, his breathing quickening. This was the only chance he had to tell her everything.

Failure wasn't an option.

When the elevator doors opened leading him to the study room, he saw Shirley standing there, startled by the large machine hand closing on her.

"Look out!"

He grabs her just like before, saving her like the prince he should have been. Both of them fall down to the underground library.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, coughing because of the dust.

"Yeah…" she sits properly, coughing a bit herself. "Hey Lulu?"

"Hmn?"

"About last night… I –"

"As promised, I'll tell you everything," he said, "Listen to me very carefully, Shirley. You must do everything as I say. You must promise me."

"I…Lulu, I –" she paused for a moment, searching for answers in his eyes. But she didn't need any. She always believed in him, whether there's a reason or not. That's what it's always been. "…Okay. I promise."

She braces herself; scared by the things Lelouch was about to say. There were many things she was confused about. She always believed Lulu knew the answer to her questions, even though rationally, that was impossible. But there was something in her that knew he was the key to everything.

She breathed deeply and reminded herself not to worry. It is true that right now, things are all hazy. But because right there in front of her lies the very person she loved more than anyone, she knew he was more than enough of a reason for her to believe that everything is going to be alright.

*Fin*

A/N: alright. Thank you very much for reading! and, I thank those who gave me anonymous reviews and of course, those who faved this story. You made my heart really glad.


	5. Piece V : Stick a Needle in My Eye

A/N: it's been a long time since I've last updated…*sigh*the finals are tomorrow so, next week, I'm FREE! XD So please be patient with me. ^w^

XXX

"Some time after this, you will _remember_ the truth."

His words echoed in her ears, making her heartbeat speed up. She didn't quite get what he meant by remember, but she listened further.

"When you do, do not talk to anybody about it. Stay in the dormitory for a while. If you have to meet with someone, do it in the school premises. Do not, in any circumstances, go to any train station. Stay put, no matter what happens, no matter how things seem to go wrong. I'll come back for you when everything is ok. But when that happens, things will change."

Shirley nodded, even though the words Lelouch are uttering is leaving her clueless.

"And it is up to you if you accept that change." He said, keeping a serious face. "I don't want you involved in anymore trouble. But it cannot be avoided. So when that time comes, you have to choose. Do you understand?"

"…Yes." She answered breathlessly as she stared at him. "I understand." She repeated, to make sure he heard.

"Alright." He smiled and seemed to relax. He took off his hat. "These things I'm doing… I don't know if they'll work out. But when I remember what you said to me before, I started believing that everything will turn out fine."

Shirley tilted her head, wondering what she had said to him.

He took her hat and wore it, and placed his hat on her head, making Shirley blush instantly. "Love is power."

XXX

"What do you mean by…first?" the witch's eyebrows came together. "The origin of Geass has never been identified."

"Not by _you_," Lilith smiled still, "Former Geass Order Leader. Man. I love how that

sounds!" she chuckled and turned to the sleeping Lelouch. "It's not a surprise why you don't know. You consider me as an _enemy_ after all." She toyed with Lelouch's raven hair, twirling them in her fingers. "… You're probably thinking by now how, why and when the Geass started, aren't you?"

"Don't I have the right to know?"

"Can't you guess? You're no fun." She stopped twirling his hair and sat up. "It has been told many times throughout history. Although the main lesson that it teaches had been taken away from it, as it appears. It's so disappointing that it had boiled down only to curiosity."

"I demand to know."

"You already know." She answered and smiled.

A golden butterfly suddenly appeared from behind the Geass Collector, fluttering against the soft wind, gliding past her. Its wings glowing with the Geass seal flapped gently as it landed on Lelouch.

A spark of electricity chirped for a brief moment, making the butterfly glide away from him in surprise.

The Geass Collector's eyes narrowed. C.C looked at her, confused.

"What happened just now?" the witch asked. "Is it an effect of time travel?"

"No." Lilith scowled at the sleeping prince. "That means he's doing something against Fate. He's doing something wrong."

XXX

He tapped the glass with his finger, making a sound suggesting only one thing.

He doesn't have much time left. The sand filled the bottom part almost halfway thru.

Lelouch sighed, continuing writing on a piece of paper.

He remembers how Nunnally told him before that his hand writing was the most beautiful she had ever seen.

When he was little, he liked how simple his life was. He remembers how easy and peaceful it was to live in her mother and father's lies. Lies were much better, because they create the truth you always wanted. Lies makes your wishes come true; they make everything seem perfect.

He believed lies were much better than knowing the truth.

But he had to grow up.

He had to face the truth.

'…_Don't be a hero.'_ He wrote down, struck by his own words. _'Tell the truth. Tell the world what _you _really want.'_

He tried to stop the trembling of his hand and of his heart, wondering if _he_ was strong enough to face his fears.

XXX

XXX

She searches for his number, her fingers fidgeting.

'_Promise me.'_

His words shoot through her ears, ringing silently. Her tears fall like diamonds on her cheeks, making her sob a few times.

'…_But you'll know everything soon, everything you want and should know.'_

She lets out a muffled cry, careful not to wake her roommate. He was right.

She knows the truth now, and everything it offered wasn't what she expected.

She thinks maybe it was better that she didn't know. Maybe it was better to be naïve.

'_You have to choose.'_

Her numb fingers tremble as she found his name. She hesitates for a moment.

Exhaling, she presses the call button.

She nears the phone on her ear, waiting to hear his voice.

"Shirley?" he answers, voice hinted with sleepiness.

"I want to talk to you about something, Suzaku."

XXX

"Things are going well, right, Onii-chan?" Rolo gently smiled at him as he answered his homework.

"Yes." Lelouch said abruptly, looking at the monitors in front of him. "Rolo?"

"What is it onii-chan?" he said, like an obedient child.

"Someone knows about my _secret._"

Rolo's expression changed in a matter of seconds. "But how? I'm sure our cover is flawless, I –"

"Calm down," Lelouch touched his shoulder, pacifying him. "I have plans to eliminate _her_. I just want you to know about it. Don't worry."

The teen's tense face relaxed a bit. "Who is it, onii-chan?"

"Shirley Fenette." The amethyst eyed prince replied. "I don't know how she regained her memories. But I'm sure that today, she will die."

"And our secret will be safe." Rolo smiled, in awe of Lelouch's confidence.

"So Rolo, don't do anything to her until I tell you to do so. Do you understand?"

"Yes, onii-chan." He happily agrees, submissive to no end. "I will not dare to interfere with your plans."

"Good." Lelouch smiles to hide his reaction caused by the relief he received upon hearing those words. "That's wonderful." He pats him on the head, still smiling. "I'll be going to Ikebukuro first before I deal with her. I'll help you with your homework once everything's over."

Rolo smiles back, charmed even more by the man behind Zero's mask. "Have a safe trip."

Lelouch turns, feeling light. He walks briskly away, whispering to himself that everything is going according to plan; so well that it scares him. He took a risk by exposing Shirley like that, but he has to make the choice. Rolo will flip out of his mind if he had told him directly not to kill her, and that will arouse suspicion too. Giving him a Geass command wouldn't work either; he knew that before Rolo and Sayoko went to aid him at the station, the time-freezing assassin engaged in battle with the Geass Canceller. If he relied on the Geass command, it will just be cancelled anyway.

"It'll be alright." He says a little louder now. He breathes deeply and walks on.

*FIN*

A/N: okay. I intended to break my '2000 word rule' on this chapter. I will be ending this story soon (maybe the next one will be the finale) since the plot I have decided to go on with isn't the long-term type (if such a word existed). So, for all the review-ers, the fave-rs, and the alerters, THANK YOU… XD


	6. Piece VI : Boats and Birds

A/N: this is the last chapter of my CG story. *sniff* the title is from a song by Gregory and the Hawk (I do not own the song nor the title,). I don't know why I chose it as a title. Maybe because it's kinda sad…or, I'm just a random person. And I am terribly sorry! I had some problems with my internet connections so I couldn't update yesterday, as I have promised. okay. Here we go. Read on and enjoy.

XXX

"_Love is a symbol of eternity; it wipes out all sense of time, destroying all memory of a beginning, and all fear of an end."_

_-Madame de Stael (1766-1817)_

XXX

He arrives at the station and did his usual plan. In addition, he cast a Geass command on some guards, ordering them that once they had seen the girl on the picture, (Shirley) they will stop her from advancing to the station, no matter what the circumstances are.

He was cautious and more anxious than he'd ever been since he got here. Today is _that_ day, after all.

Lelouch sighs. He felt sick, because something told him everything would eventually go wrong.

"Lelouch?"

He averts his eyes to who called his name. "Suzaku," he says, barely hiding his surprise. This was bad news. "It's rare to see you in public places like these."

"Not really." The Knight of Seven narrowed his eyes, suspicion already evident. "How about you? Why are you here?"

"It's the weekends; can't I enjoy some quality time for myself?" he smiles, trying to break the tension. "How about you? On a date to meet a secret lover?"

"No. Shirley called me. She wanted to talk about something important."

'_Shoot.'_ He curses in his mind and tries to act normally. "Oh. Well, I don't want to keep you. See you later." He exits swiftly, feeling the harsh stare of his friend under those glasses.

His heart skips a beat as he gradually sped up his pace.

That feeling earlier isn't far from reality now.

XXX

She commits to her memory that he is a murderer and yet she remembers his instructions; she keeps them dear to her heart.

'_Lelouch is Zero.' _She speaks softly to herself, reminding her being to return to being rational. _'He killed your father. He's a liar.'_

She shook her head, almost breaking to a smile.

She knows that it's just too late for her to be sane.

"Shirley?"

Her emerald eyes meet his olive ones. She smiles.

"Suzaku."

The Knight of Seven smiles back, obviously missing his friend. "You look well."

"Of course." She replies, signalling him to sit beside her on the bench. "I've never been better. And you, Sir Kururugi?"

Suzaku, instead of sitting as she motioned, kneels like a knight in front of his queen. "My heart is gladdened greatly by the sight of this fair maiden alone."

"Is that so?" Shirley replies with a raised eyebrow.

After a mere second, they break in to a laugh; one that they never had in ages.

"Suzaku," she started, as their laugh died down completely, "Sorry for calling you out of a sudden."

"It's alright." He smiles. "Hey, we're friends, aren't we?"

"Is Lelouch still one of those 'friends' you talk about too?"

The pilot of Lancelot's smile almost froze on his face upon hearing her question.

"I noticed that you two seemed to have grown apart. Or is it because of your opposing ideals that you started to hate each other?"

His olive green eyes stared at her, shocked. "Shirley, when…"

"You know, Suzaku, I envied _your_ friendship with Lulu." She looks far away, recalling past memories. "Because when he's with you, he looked so natural and carefree. He looked so… different. It's as if you unlock his hidden self. I never saw him open up like that to anyone. But now…"

"Things change." Suzaku looks away, voice low. "Lelouch _was_ a good friend."

"I've forgiven him."

This made him look at her. "I…I can't do that." He frowns, hands turning to fists.

"You're wrong." She says, voice lightly turning serious. "We all forgive, eventually."

"…I –" before he could finish, he noticed something unusual.

There was smoke arising from far away.

"What is it?" Shirley turns to look.

"That direction… Ikebukuro station." He rises and flips open his cell phone and enter some numbers and press the call button.

"Is it a fire?" she asks, observing the rising grey cloud.

"Could be." He answers, but soon his face turned serious. "Lelouch was there a while ago…"

_Station._

_Train station._

"Lulu?" She repeats, making sure she heard right.

She grips her clutch bag. There was a voice that told her he was still there. Her guts told her she _had_ to be there.

"Wait for me here, I'll check it out." he orders her as he dashes off to the distance, calls a taxi and went to the said location.

She looks back at the distant smoke and remembers Lelouch's command.

XXX

"His time is almost up." Lilith smoothed her dress and stood up.

C.C's honey colored eyes shot up to hers, making her Geass activate again. "Are you going?"

"Just a few minutes more and it's all over." She looks at the sleeping Lelouch of the past; electric charges go sparkling and beaming all over his body like a miniature thunderstorm, but he still lay there, undisturbed. "I wonder what that child had done." The Geass Collector breaks in to a cheeky grin and giggles. "I can't wait to find out."

C.C was about to say something but the woman who started it all; the first Geass user vanished in to thin air.

XXX

She runs in the empty station, almost making no sound as she carried the hand gun she stole from an officer. She had shot another person, she reminds herself, making her nauseous and dizzy. The image of the blood that came out from his foot still hung around her. She didn't mean to shoot the poor man; after all, she understands he was just doing his job.

But she has to see him and she wants to help him. She wants to be true to him and to herself.

So Shirley Fenette ran faster in search of him and stumbles upon a very familiar face.

XXX

"Yeah, I had Jeremiah. Go ahead." Lelouch instructs over the phone to Sayoko as he tried to catch his breath. "If there are any obstacles, he will take of them for us. Don't fight him; he's one of us now." He pushes himself to run faster, anxious to find Rolo. He _needed _to find him immediately. He breathes deeply to calm his nerves and runs a hand on his sweaty forehead.

But then he hears a gunshot; enough for him to almost choke on his own breath and enough to stop the beating of his heart. He was like immersed in ice cold water as he heard the loud sound emanating in his system, telling him to panic.

He ran faster, feeling the irregular beating of his heart. He imagines the blood on her stomach…

"Shirley." He calls out nervously as he found her there, lying on the ground with her pumpkin colored hair in disarray. "Shirley," his voice cracks and he rushes to her, almost tripping. "Shirley?" his eyes could no longer see her as he drowns in his tears.

He reaches out; he looks at her and his tears fall, clearing his vision.

He sees the blood he loathed to see; pouring out of her body like water from a faucet. He smells death that now hangs on the scene; the metal scent he despises the most.

"Lulu..." she says in a defeated voice. "…Y-you're… here…"

"Shh," his hands trembled violently, brushing her bangs in one hand and the other tried to stop the blood gushing out of her. "Don't speak. I'll save you. Hang on," he carries her, and starts running.

"…I'm glad I can talk to you… in the end," she gasps for air so that she can speak properly.

"No, don't, don't, please…" a sob escapes from his lips as he turns to a corner, barely keeping his balance.

"I believe you," she smiles weakly, clutching his shirt, "Everything you said, I b-believe all of th-that…" she coughs, turning pale. "At first I was s-scared… But I figured that everything I came to know d-doesn't matter… It doesn't matter if they're all l-lies. As long as you're real, you're here with me, I… I'll be fine."

"Stop, please," he pleads desperately and tightens his grip on her. Her skin already is turning cold.

"I love y-you." She mutters and tears fall. "I couldn't bring myself to hate you despite o-of all the things th-that happened…I'm so happy I did… I'm so happy it was you whom I fell for, over and over again…"

"Please…" his words dissolve to sobs and his tears dropped to her cheeks, like rain. "Don't do this to me."

"Is it all right to fall in love with you again, when I'm reborn?" she asks honestly, her voice trembling now. "No matter how many times… I-I'm sure it's you I'll always fall in love with…"

"Don't say that," Lelouch forces a smile on his lips. "Everything's g-going to be fine. I'll save you, so… hang on… you promised me you'd wait, remember? You promised me. You promised," he insisted. His legs wanted to give up from exhaustion; his lungs hurt because of lack of air.

He forces himself to go on. He struggles to climb the still escalator and notices something which made his heart sink and his world shatter to pieces.

'_Ten more seconds, Lelouch.'_

Lilith's eyes gleamed with unspeakable intentions and started the countdown.

'_Ten.'_

"We're almost there," he tries to assure her; he tries to hang on to her: to her life that is slowly slipping away from his hands like sand.

'_Nine.'_

"I'm so sorry, L-Lulu…" she smiles painfully, feeling cold as Death comes nearer every second.

'_Eight.'_

"…I want to be with you… to protect you… forever." She whispers, but for Lelouch it's too loud and too painful to hear.

'_Seven.'_

He sees the exit from afar; cars and fire trucks and people. He pushes further, he shouts and he pleads.

'_Six.'_

"I'll see you in the future," he whispers to her, he falls to his knees but he still carries her like a princess in his arms. "You'll be there, with me."

'_Five.'_

She tries to focus and she tries to look at his amethyst eyes drowning in tears. "I…I d-don't think I… I'll be there…"

'_Four.'_

"I'm sure." He pushes a smile, and he hugs her tightly. "I'm sure you'll be there. I'm certain. Promise me, okay?"

'_Three.'_

"…I love you." He whispers close to her ear. "Always keep that in mind." He holds her tighter and he wishes time to stand still. He breathes and takes in her smell, he touches her silky hair and he looks at her; he commits them to his memory. He plays her voice in his mind over and over again to keep him sane.

'_Two.'_

Shirley smiles, just barely. She holds on to him, she returns his embrace. She hears footsteps and shouts of people but she feels too sleepy and tired to pay attention to that. Her lids weigh heavier than anything around her and she succumbs to Death.

'_One.'_

"…I promise."

_Game over._

He feels he'd been struck by something powerful as he slips out of consciousness and the Geass symbol is the last thing he sees.

"Lelouch."

He hears her voice calling him gently. He searches for her, and sees light from a far.

"Lelouch."

'_Shirley.'_ He calls back, and he reaches out.

XXX

"The moment our pact is fulfilled you will turn to dust." She reminds her.

"I know." Her honey eyes drift to the Geass Collector. "I've lived long, Lilith. I've learned by now that this body costs nothing compared to some things."

"Very well." She nods and places her hand on the Witch's head.

"May your wish be granted."

XXX

He opens his eyes as if he'd waken from a nightmare.

"Finally! You're awake," Lilith claps her hand and smiles. "Did you have good sleep?"

Lelouch blinks to clear his foggy vision. "Where am I?"

"In some dimension where time does not exist." She answers as if it's as simple as that. She twirls around and places her hands on her hips. "Now, dear Lelouch. You've done very bad things, didn't you know?"

Lelouch rubs his head with a hand as the effect of time travel settle on him. "What?"

"You left your past self some instructions." She holds up a piece of paper. "You told _him _about the future."

His amethyst eyes widen in alarm. "Where did you get that?"

"It doesn't matter." Lilith's voice turns serious, almost dangerous. "Did you know that the world was torn apart because of what you did?"

A bolt of adrenaline made him wake up completely as he stood. "What do you mean?"

"I _warned_ you." She narrowed her eyes. "Don't you know so many lives had been sacrificed?" she sighs and tosses away the paper she was holding. As the paper flutters upwards, it suddenly turns in to dust. "But it doesn't matter anyway."

"What happened?" he asks, heart rate doubling its normal pace.

"You'll remember soon." She walks to him, her dress making waves as she moved to the opposite wind. "As soon as you go back to the present time, you'll recover your memories." She breaks in to a hopeless smile. "You are one damn lucky guy aren't you?"

Lelouch's eyebrows knit together. "What do you mean by that?"

"Lelouch vi Britannia," she ignores his question and her voice silences him like a thunderclap, "Our pact is now ineffective. You are free of the Geass curse and," she smiles again, "You are the first one to live to enjoy the freedom. Did you know that every user I have made a contract with dies and turns to dust, because of a very simple reason that they have lived _too_ long? The Code is the only thing that keeps them falling to their graves anyway." She places her hand on his, and within a second the Geass mark Lelouch had been carrying for these years had now disappeared.

"Enjoy life, boy." She smirks and pushes him, and he loses his balance. "And don't forget to say thank you to _her_."

"Wait!" he tries to grab her but he's already falling. Lilith turns her back from him and walks away. A butterfly; the one bearing the Geass seal on it's wings flutter to him, and as what it did the first time he saw it, it lands once more on his nose and opens its wings.

And with another blink he finds himself waking from another sleep.

"Wha…" he sits up and looks around him.

He lay in a simple room that consists of only the bed he was lying on, a table with scattered papers and a lamp, a trash bin heaping with paper, a wooden drawer, and five bookshelves covering almost two and a half of another wall. The windows were open and wind was coming in, making the white curtains move.

He notices Cheese-kun lying on a solitary chair near the balcony. Lelouch smiles, expecting C.C to appear any second and tell him she needed his credit card to buy pizza.

He hopped off the bed and heard something move. He searched for the source and found the trash bin knocked over and still moving.

He looked closer to see a black cat stuck between some wrapper and some paper. Lelouch grabs the struggling cat and takes away the wrapper stuck on its fur. "Clumsy as ever, Prunes."

He caught himself wondering why he called the cat with familiarity.

The cat meowed and leaped away, leaving him dumbfounded.

'_His fur is the same color as… blueberry. No, of blackberries. Oh, I know! Prunes! He's as the same color of prunes!'_

He remembers a voice telling him silly things and reasons, but he can't recall who it was.

He walks and finds himself wandering in the unknown house, but at the same time surprises himself that he knows the ways of the place.

He turns left and enters the kitchen and smells something burning.

There was something boiling on a pot on the stove and it's not even supposed to be categorized as boiling anymore. There was black smoke coming out of it.

He hurriedly turns the knob off, and places the poor red pot on the sink.

"What is Shirley doing," he caught himself once more. He wonders why he said her name out loud like that, because he knows that –

'…_I promise.'_

He hears her, almost as if she was there with him, interrupting his earlier thoughts.

'…_you'll recover your memories. ' _he hears the Geass Collector's voice like some kind of haunting.

And then he remembers everything.

He runs to a place he knew he'd find her. He turns to a corner and dashes down the stairs.

He knew the place because he lived in it. He lived in it with _her._

Arriving in his small hangar, he saw two familiar knightmares; Shinkiro, and Guinevere.

Guinevere was _her_ knightmare when the war broke out.

"Shirley."

She turns gently, her now short pumpkin colored hair swaying against the air. Her emerald eyes never lost its sparkle. She looked more mature than the last time he saw her; in fact, she looked different, maybe because of all the battles she'd went to and the people she fought (killed) in the battlefield.

He remembers her words that day. He remembers she told him that she'll fight along with him.

"Lulu," she calls out, almost surreal. She turns completely and Lelouch sees the swell on her tummy.

He remembered they won the battle, Japan regained its rightful name and they lived happily ever after.

"I-I wasn't planning on riding Guinevere," she lied because she really wanted to, because she missed the thrill of piloting a knightmare. And now that she's pregnant, she was forbidden to do many things. "I w-was just checking if –"

Within a heart beat Lelouch grabbed her arm and pulled her in to an embrace.

"Shirley," he whispers to her ear, almost tearful.

"What's wrong dear?" she asks tenderly, and he believes that she's alive.

"You're here." He answers and smiles. "You're alive."

Shirley smiles too, as if she knows what he's talking about. "Did you have _that_ nightmare again?" she hugs him back. "I promised you, didn't I?"

"Yeah." He breaks the embrace, the smile on his lips still there. "I know."

"Brother! Shirley!"

The both of them turn their heads to see who called them.

"We're back," Nunnally smiled cheerfully as she held a bag full of snacks. She kept her light brown hair long, but everything else in her changed. Lelouch remembered she had been out of her wheelchair for almost three years but he was still so happy to see his beloved sister walking on her own.

"No, Arthur! Ouch!" a familiar voice shouts and someone falls out upside down from the van they were riding a while ago.

"Suzaku!" Nunnally calls out, worry evident in her voice. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he shows them a thumb up and a grin but Arthur leaps on his face, making a scratch, and then runs away. The former Knight of Seven sits up immediately. "Get back here, you!" He then chases the grey cat as he always does, disappearing in the bushes.

"Don't go too far!" Shirley reminds her former partner and sighs. She hears an 'okay' from a far.

"Hey, I've heard this movie really sucks. Why did you even rent this?" a certain red head by the name of Kallen reasoned to Rivalz.

"It doesn't suck, Kallen." He answers as he turned off the engine of the van. "You're just scared coz it's a thriller movie."

"I am _not_!" Kallen retorted and jumped out of the van while holding a bag of rented DVDs. "You just rented it so you can scare Milly and play the 'brave knight' role!"

"That is not true!" Rivalz gets off the van, blushing.

"Now now, the two of you," Milly giggles and carries a case of beer, "Let us not fight today. We're supposed to be celebrating, remember?"

"I caught him!" a distant voice, namely Suzaku, announced happily and was running to them, holding Arthur in his hands. He has a new scratch on his face but he smiled anyway.

"I told you, you shouldn't have brought Arthur here." Kallen sighed, exasperated.

"But he'll be lonely at home," he reasoned.

"He won't, coz he'll be busy _mating_ with Mint [1] and, they, including their kittens, will be busy trashing your home." The red head teased and walked in to the house.

"That is not true, Kallen," Suzaku frowns and follows her to argue.

Meanwhile, Rivalz explains that it is not his intention to do what Kallen said, but Milly just smiles and follows her friends to Lelouch's house.

"Let's go Lulu," Shirley invites him as she and Nunnally walk in to the house as well.

"Alright," he smiles. Everything seemed so perfect and complete and –

'_It's natural that we dream to have everything that's in those fairytale books. Even I would want that.'_

He remembers her and he knows what happened and yet he wanted to ask Shirley where she is.

"What's the matter, Lulu?" She inquires.

'_But I suppose fairy tales and happy endings come with a great price. Don't you agree?'_

"It's nothing," he tries to cover his feelings and smiles, "Let's go."

As they walk in to their house, he imagines her waiting in his room like she always does, back when she was still his witch and he was still Zero.

He excuses himself and he walks back in to the study room and sees her cheese-kun lying there, incomplete and lonely without its master.

'_Lelouch.' _He would hear her call his name as she hugged her yellow plush toy and he will take off his mask and greet her back.

But now she isn't there anymore and no one can change that.

'_Don't forget to thank her.'_

"I'm back, -." [2] He calls her by her name; her real name and a pang of pain takes over him. "I'm sorry." He whispers and he feels stupid for not being powerful enough to be her demon and he feels even more awful when he realizes he had been too selfish.

He pictures her smiling wryly at him like she always does.

'_If you're selfish, then that's alright. We all are. It's understandable.'_ He hears her speak and he sees her walk past him, still smiling and still proud and then she's gone forever.

"Thank you." He whispers in the air and wishes she could hear him.

He exhales and turns away and closes the door behind him, joining his friends as he kept her words in mind.

~Fin~

A/N:

[1] Just a random name for a cat that bore Arthur's kittens. XD

[2] There are so many rumours about what C.C's real name is, so if you have some theory about it, then you're free to substitute that there.

Okay. That's the end of it. *Weeps* I'll miss writing this. I was thinking of making this longer, but I guess I'm just too lazy to do it. Oh, if you're wondering what C.C wished for, well it's up to you and your imagination. I hope you like it. :D thank you for reading!


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